The Fiftieth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the
legislative branch
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as ...
of the
government of Oklahoma
The government of the U.S. State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and ...
, composed of the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
and the
House of Representatives. It met in
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
from January 4, 2005 to January 2, 2007, during the second two years of the first term of Governor
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who was the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002. Henry won re-election for a second term ...
. The
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
held the majority of the state senate seats and the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
held the majority of seats in the
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...
. The 2005 session was marked by the enactment of the Tax Relief Act of 2005. The 2006 session was marked by the enactment of the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act.
Dates of sessions
*Organizational day: January 4, 2005
*First regular session: February 7, 2005 – May 27, 2005
*Special sessions: May 27, 2005 - June 6, 2005, August 30–31, 2005
*Second regular session: February 6, 2006 – May 26, 2006
*Special session: May 25, 2006 - May 26, 2006, June 21–23, 2006
Previous:
49th Legislature • Next:
51st Legislature
Party Affiliation
Senate
House of Representatives
Major legislation
Enacted
2005
*Education - HB 1992 created the Academic Achievement Award Program.
*Education - SB 531 allowed school districts to exceed their carryover funds for two years without penalty.
*Health care - SB 547 created a one-stop prescription program for the uninsured.
*Health care - HB 1088 secured Oklahoma State University Medical Schools' residency programs.
*Health care - HB 1411 created the Physician Assistant Scholarship Program.
*Juveniles - SB 458 required courts to sentence juveniles as an adult if they assault an employee of the Juvenile Affairs Office.
*Roads and bridges - HB 1078 increased funding for road and bridge repair.
*Tax Relief Act of 2005 - HB 1547 and SB 435 increased the standard deduction and reduced the top income tax rate.
Legislative briefs
Oksenate.gov (accessed June 29, 2013)
*War memorial - created a War on Terror Memorial Design Committee.
*Veterans - HB 1476 increased the income tax exemption for retirement benefits for veterans.
*Victim's rights - HB 1698 prohibited the appearance of names and addresses for sex crime victims on court website.
2006
*Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act - HB 2840 gave the Oklahoma Department of Human Services
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services, OKDHS is responsible for providing help to individuals and families in nee ...
and judges the authority to request investigative resources from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and gave child advocates greater input into review procedures in order to address child abuse.
*Stand Your Ground - HB 2615 extended existing legal protections for law-abiding citizens to use deadly force to protect themselves and their families from intruders in their homes to other locations such as vehicles.
Leadership
Senate
*President of the Senate: Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin
*President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Mike Morgan Michael or Mike Morgan may refer to:
Music
* Michael Morgan (conductor) (1957–2021), American conductor
* Mike Morgan (musician) (born 1959), American Texas blues musician, frontman of Mike Morgan and the Crawl
* Mike Morgan (producer), Australi ...
*Majority Floor Leader: Ted Fisher
*Majority Whip: Susan Paddack
*Republican Minority Leader: Glenn Coffee
Virgil Glenn Coffee (born January 20, 1967) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coffee was the 30th Oklahoma Secretary of State, having been appointed by Governor Mary Fallin. He served from January 1 ...
*Republican Caucus Chair: Jonathan Nichols
House of Representatives
*Speaker: Todd Hiett
*Democratic Minority Leader: Jari Askins
Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, being the second woman and the first female Democratic Party member to hol ...
Members
Senate
House of Representatives
See also
* Oklahoma state elections, 2004
References
{{Oklahoma Legislatures
Oklahoma legislative sessions
2005 in Oklahoma
2006 in Oklahoma
2005 U.S. legislative sessions
2006 U.S. legislative sessions